Gloves

[gurnie]

I regard my LFS having very well trained and knowledgeable staff. But i often see them handling liver rock and fish (well when scooping with a net) without gloves.

I've specifically asked if people should wear gloves, and they said they weren't necessary, and that if i wanted, new "yellow" latex kitchen gloves were fine.

But i've heard people say you need gloves.

Do you really need gloves? My skin seems a little sensitive to the saltwater (my wrists might get a little chapped or a few tiny "chapped bumps" have appeared, but nothing has itched after washing my hands in the sink (with very warm water and dish soap). I have a similar reaction when i go swimming in florida.

So, do people here wear gloves? How often do people get infected with bacterias or TB?

I'm thinking of getting longer gloves since the kitchen gloves only make it to my elbows. Maybe i can get some good long gloves at home depo?

I'm just surprised that none of the beginner books i read recommended gloves, and now I am hearing people who firmly believe you have to, and others who think people are just acting paranoid.

Opinions?

 

[rhysiboy]

well i can say you wouldnt want to be handling something like a long spine urchin without gloves or a lionfish. The main thing that we usualy come into contact that causes pain are fireworms and bristleworms on live rock. I never move great big chunks of live rock without gloves because of this reason as i have 2 masssive ones that would cause a lot of pain if i were to touch. Small piecees of live rock and corals by the bases shouldnt cause a problem. In regards to infections and stuff even the tightest fitting gloves will elt some water in so i dont see the argument for gloves there just always wash your hands thoroughly.

 

[Donya]

I think gloves are mainly important if you're going to be dealing directly with something that could damage you if didn't have the gloves on (e.g. poisonous animals/corals or animals with sharp spines), or if you're frightened of allergic reactions from those things. So, it's not a bad idea to handle LR with gloves because of things like bristleworms, and I'd never frag certain corals without gloves. Also, if you have a big cut on your hand it's probably a good idea as with any tank to either not stick that hand in the water or put a glove on it, if anything just because of how much it'll sting. Most of the time though I've never really seen a need for gloves for general tank feeding and whatnot; if I have to manipulate small/fragile things that arn't directly around some irritant, I always go gloveless because gloves can make fine manipulation pretty difficult unless they're the really thin latex type. I've been bitten & stung by bristleworms a few times from going in bare-handed, but I guess it depends on how much you're bothered by that sort of thing. I've never heard of anyone getting an infection from a sw tank...have heard of that from fw but not sw.

 

[gurnie]

I'm new in the hobby so I don't have many corals (just a kenya tree and a red mushroom). The only time i have had to dip my hands were for a W.C. or when i was arranging my rocks for the first time. I have two black saddleback clowns and 8 hermit crabs in my 14 gallon biocube (i had a peppermint shrimp but i think the clown attacked it b/c the hermit crabs were eating the carcass). Does anything in my tank stick out as risky?

i'm big on hand washing, almost obsessive!

 

[rhysiboy]

well if you have liive rock then yes, its likely you have not just one bristleworm but hundreds (most mm big so dont worry bout them)

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I wear them whenever I'm touching a coral, liverock or the sand. Probably not needed but at the end of the day wearing gloves is not going to hurt but not wearing them could.

I just bought a box of thin surgical gloves. The only cover my hands and I use elastic bands to seal the tops if my hands are going to be in the water for any length of time. When I have finished with them I just take them off and throw them.

 

[shibby]

i dont use gloves when working on my tanks, the only time ive ever worn gloves was at work when i had to put 60 kilos of uncured live rock into the vat and thats mainly because i didnt want my hands to smell!

i didnt wear them when cleaning the lion fish tank or getting urchins mainly becuase those things are sharp thered probably penetrate gloves! and all you need to be is careful and alert.

 

[STD]

I don't use gloves but have often wished I had

After handling zoas or liverock I often come out in blisters

 

[Donya]

Does anything in my tank stick out as risky?

Nah, not unless you're going to be doing work with rocks or digging into the substrate. Bristleworms are probably the only thing you'd have to worry about.

 

[idlefingers]

I have thin latex gloves which I wear for certain tasks like moving zooanthids, etc but most of the time I don't wear gloves so I voted sometimes.

 

[1entra]

Ive never wore gloves whilst putting my hands in my reef tank. Ive often moved pieces of LR in the water when I fancied a change in aquascaping or when I have got new coral frags. Ive also moved my zoo's and polyps around without wearing gloves.

The only time Ive ever felt any stinging is when I have had small cuts or grazes on my hands and the saltwater has caused them to sting... other than that Ive never had a problem!

Also every single marine shop I have been to (and trust me I've been to a LOT), ive never seen any of the staff wearing gloves when placing hands in the tanks! I'm not saying they don't use them all together, its just Ive never seen them doing so!

I know gloaves are adviseable and but I wouldn't say they are necessary unless you do have sesitive skin, open cuts or allergic reactions to the salwater or stuff in the tank. I would also recommend wearing them when handling poisousnous/venomous slivestock!

 

[SkiFletch]

I really only wear gloves when doing extensive aquascaping. I've had a nice bristleworm sting from failing to wear gloves while playing with LR... Won't make that mistake again.

But when just vaccuming or doing regular maintenance, I don't bother

 

[sophos9]

Never ever worn them even when handling my land mine urchin. Never been stung by a bristleworm or coral, how bad is the sting?

My missus keep telling me to get stung just so we know

 

[Adrinal]

The more we work in the tanks the more itchy we get. I try to wear them as often as possible. Cutting animals I always wear them and wear glasses too. It just takes one squirt to mess you up... same with any power tool.

I always wash imediatly before and after working in a tank, glove or no glove.

 

[andywg]

Never worn gloves, probably never will. IME spines on an urchin will fall off before doing any real damage to you.